'I'd give all my All-Irelands to still have him here with me today'

Philly McMahon says he would give up his six All-Ireland medals to have his brother back.

The Dublin defender opens up about the death of his older brother John from a heroin overdose six years ago in a documentary to be aired on RTE One tomorrow at 9.30pm, describing it as "the half-time talk of my life".

“In all my years playing football for Dublin my number one goal has never changed – to get that blue jersey and to wear it as many times as possible," McMahon said.

“I never got a chance to share any of it with John. I’d give all my All-Irelands to still have him here with me today.

“I am Ballymun, it’s in my blood and it’s made me the man I am. Growing up, for me, it was a colourful, magical place to be, playing football against the towers."

The documentary, entitled 'Philly McMahon: The Hardest Hit', was filmed before the Ballymun Kickhams clubman's father Phil passed away from cancer earlier this year. Indeed, it opens with him blowing out candles on his birthday cake as he turned 64.